Apple has become a household name, with products such as the iPhone, iPad and Macbook entering nearly every home. However, until recently, Apple hasn’t been a major player in the smart home industry. That all changed when Apple released the Homepod on February 9, 2018.
For several years, the Amazon Echo and Google Home have dominated the smart speaker industry. Apple was late to the game with the Homepod; however, in Apple’s style, they aren’t the first to release something, but they do make the most technologically advanced version of that feature. This was shown with Face ID on the iPhone X, the smartphone in general with the original iPhone, and finally, the smart speaker with the Homepod.
The Homepod carries a whopping $350 price tag. The price seems outrageously high at first glance, especially compared to the $85 Amazon Echo. However, the Homepod is packed with the most advanced technology to ever come to a smart speaker.
The Homepod has seven tweeters (high-end speakers) at its base and a full subwoofer (low-end, bass-rich speaker) built into it. The speakers are wrapped around the device, offering a 360 degree audio experience. The Homepod also judges its position in a room, and adjusts its sound based on that. It also comes with six microphones wrapped around it, acting as another gauge for the room size. It also allows the speaker to hear one’s voice from anywhere around the room.
This smart speaker trumps all others in the world of audio. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, released a statement about this.
“We think one thing that was missing from this market was a quality audio experience, a very immersive audio experience. Music deserves that kind of quality as opposed to some kind of squeaky sound,” said Cook.
However, many reviewers state that the Homepod is years behind other smart speakers like the Amazon Echo in the world of compatibility and software. Siri has less functionality than Google or Alexa, and the Homepod only supports Apple Music as of now. However, this is a first generation product for Apple, and they have a long time to update and allow the software to grow.
The Apple Homepod isn’t the first of its kind, but it does contain the best hardware of any smart speaker out there. Give Apple a few months, and many of those initial issues will be resolved with new software.
